“Over 250 people were sitting in their seats by 10 am in the morning and also occupying the free corners of our conference room. And we were already happy like that.”
The words from a member of the Ocrim “Wheat, flour and…” team.

Friday 13 September
We couldn’t wait to welcome our guests in the recently renovated conference room. Even more beautiful and spacious than before, but above all equipped with the most advanced technologies from an instrumental point of view.
Friday 13 September We couldn’t wait to welcome our guests in the recently renovated conference room. Even more beautiful and spacious than before, but above all equipped with the most advanced technologies from an instrumental point of view. The President of Ocrim, Sergio Antolini, kicked off the two days with a touching and powerful speech. He spoke of the deep roots of Cremona, a city of great violin makers and masters of art, but also home to the millstones that transform wheat into flour. He reminded us that, Juliet Capulet – through the “pen” of William Shakespeare - said that "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet". The same, in theory, could be true for Ocrim, as it doesn’t matter if the company name or logo are present, because everywhere in the world its passion and intelligence, visible in what it produces and supplies, make it immediately recognizable. However, President Antolini was keen to point out that Juliet was wrong, and states that “there’s a lot in a name. Just by mentioning it, Ocrim materializes. As soon as we name it, we ‘smell’ its quality and feel safe. A series of exclusive, unique machines and accessories, developed by our experts since 1945”.
Furthermore, in a time of great technological evolution, the President reiterated a concept that is very dear to us: artificial intelligence (AI) is an incredible tool, but it is human intelligence that makes life exciting and full of meaning.

The technical conference was preceded by speeches by Ocrim’s Commercial Director, Stefano Mazzini and by some other personalities from the political, institutional and industrial world, who are essentially “historical friends of Ocrim”.
Before introducing the new Mayor of Cremona, Andrea Virgilio, to the audience, Mazzini launched the video “People”, whose exciting content features the people who work in Ocrim or who “orbit” around it. He then took the floor again and talked about Ocrim’s latest “achievements” and the goals that have led the company to feel like a real industrial Group, a strong point of reference for the milling and agri-food sector in general, stating that “for about fifteen years now we have remained the same, because we have the same soul and passion, the same human intelligence, but at the same time we have evolved, because we have concretely expanded the scope of our skills, also thanks to strategic alliances and acquisitions. Now we are able to offer much more than before. After almost eighty years (only one year to go!), people, their skills, synergy, ability to help and meet each other, human and constructive discussion have been the founding and indispensable elements to ‘design’ our present, exactly as the video ‘People’ that you have just seen tells us. A sincere ‘thank you’ therefore goes to them, to the people who have made Ocrim the reality that we see today”.
Mayor Virgilio then told the audience about the importance of Ocrim for the city, guaranteeing all possible support from the administration, also to ensure a synergy between the company, the institutions and Research, thanks to the presence of important universities in the area.
Federico Vecchioni, CEO of BF S.p.A., underlined the importance of the long alliance between Ocrim and its companies, an alliance that has the aim of meeting the global needs related to food, sustainability and a balanced distribution of well-being in general. Vecchioni also mentioned the “Africa plan”, in which Ocrim is also involved: the project is to provide adequate tools and skills in a country – Africa, precisely – that has been developing for too long now.
Then it was the turn of Gianluca Lelli, CEO of CAI (Consorzi Agrari d’Italia) who told the guests present how important Ocrim is for all the cooperatives that are part of CAI, thanks to its values, the skills it makes available and, obviously, the high level of technology it has.

Artificial Intelligence, climate change, the issues and problems caused by wars and obviously the contribution of Ocrim, essential to enrich the milling sector (and not only) with its experience and technology: these are the themes and contents explored in depth during the two mornings.

AI - Artificial Intelligence at the service of the milling and agri-food sector

The first day's technical conference, moderated by Eloisa Martino Ocrim's Communication & Marketing Dept.), focused on the use of Artificial Intelligence, a highly topical issue and a source of discussion worldwide, for better or for worse. The opening speech by Davide Zacchetti, Ocrim's IT Manager, introduced the audience to AI, outlining its basic principles and potential applications. It was a real university lesson, short but intense, which led us to reflect on the role of AI in our lives and in our work.
Luca Lambri, Smart Machines Dept. (UMI) Manager, then spoke about AI applied to the milling sector, describing how this tool allows us to respond in an increasingly precise and personalized way to customer needs. It was an opportunity to present Ocrim's new UMI Dept., created just a few months ago.
Paolo Molinari, Elecrtical & Automation Dept. Manager, continued by delving into the applications of AI in his field. With his speech he demonstrated how technology can enhance production processes without ever completely replacing or overpowering the human intellect.
But that's not all. The conference also hosted two speakers from the academic world, Ilva Licaj, PhD researcher at the Department of Science and Technology of the University of Sannio in Benevento, and Domenico Felice, PhD researcher at the Management Engineering Department of the Polytechnic University of Milan. Through two different speeches, they told us and demonstrated - with data in hand - how AI can be used in agriculture to study and improve wheat cultivation, analyzing, for example, the roots of traditional and modern wheat and detecting drought stress.

The day was enriched by a visit to the Ocrim factories, followed by a lunch that allowed all participants to continue discussing and exchanging ideas.

In the late afternoon, all the guests were accompanied to Polesine Parmense (Parma), where they were able to visit the culatello and parmigiano reggiano maturing cellars of the Antica Corte Pallavicina. Afterwards, we met at the Al Cavallino Bianco restaurant, for a gala dinner based on local delicacies and pleasant music, thanks to the presence of two guitarists.

The first day of "Wheat, flour and..." was a perfect fusion between technological innovation and the passion that we have always put into our work. The future of the milling industry is changing before our eyes and we are reaping all the benefits to be able to offer the best to our customers, while always remaining faithful to the idea that true intelligence, the human one, remains irreplaceable. Without it, there would not be the same magic in transforming wheat into flour, there would not be the same passion and commitment that we put into our work every day, there would not be convivial moments lived with sincere harmony and happiness. To be continued…